Today at the grocery store...A lady coughed.
What is the Coronavirus or COVID-19? We hear about it on all media platforms but what are the FACTS?
I took the liberty of researching WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW about COVID-19 and how to PROTECT YOURSELF.
1. Where did COVID-19 come from?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses.
Rarely, animal corona viruses that infect animals have emerged to infect people and can spread between people.
This is suspected to have occurred for the virus that causes COVID-19.
(National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases)
2. What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure:
· Fever
· Cough
· Shortness of breath
3. What is a virus?
Viruses are microscopic organisms that exist almost everywhere on earth. They can infect animals(humans), plants, fungi, and even bacteria.
Viruses are living organisms that cannot replicate without a host cell aka healthy cell within other organisms like ourselves.
They are considered the most abundant biological entity on the planet. We deal with the nearly every day.
Diseases caused by viruses include rabies, herpes, and Ebola COVID-19.
There is no cure for a virus, but vaccination can prevent them from spreading.(Unless there is no vaccination yet, which we will discuss later.)
4. How is the virus spread?
Someone who is actively sick with COVID-19 can spread the illness to others.
That is why CDC recommends that these patients be isolated either in the hospital or at home until they are better and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.
According to CDC guidance, one can only be released from isolation when the following criteria are met:
· The patient is free from fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
· The patient is no longer showing symptoms, including cough.
· The patient has tested negative on at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected at least 24 hours apart.
5. Where was the virus first detected?
This virus was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.
(www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019)
6. What can I do to protect myself?
There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.
CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Proper handwashing
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.( Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.)
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7 .WASH YOUR HANDS!
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
(Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if you cannot wash your hands)
7. How dangerous is this virus?
Like many other viruses, this virus can be fatal when combined with OTHER diseases and compromised immune systems.
This chart below is an overview of suspected cases of major viruses that have effected humans in the past to help you understand the fatality rate.
(Johns Hopkins, CDC, World Health Organization, New England Journal of Medicine, Malaysian Journal of Pathology, CGTN.)
A total of 1,023 deaths have occurred among 44,672 confirmed cases for an overall case fatality rate of 2.3%.
The 80 and older age group had the highest case fatality rate of all age groups at 14.8%.
Patients who reported no pre-existing conditions had a case fatality rate of 0.9%
Patients with presence of 2 chronic diseases or conditions had much higher rates: 10.5% for those with cardiovascular disease, 7.3% for diabetes, 6.3% for chronic respiratory disease, 6.0% for hypertension, and 5.6% for cancer.
(The Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Emergency Response Epidemiology Team. The Epidemiological Characteristics of an Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) — China, 2020[J]. China CDC Weekly, 2020, 2(8): 113-122.)
*I have summarized the answers to these questions with their listed sources, numbers are subected to change.
Do not let the media scare you of a virus that is very manageable to an average healthy person.
As for the young children, elderly, and others with comprised immune systems;